


Precursor to Destiny

by Emrys MK (mk_malfoy)



Series: Merlin Episodes: AUs, Missing Scenes, and Inspired By [2]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Bottom Arthur, Bottom Arthur Fest, Bottom Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Episode: s01e01 Dragon's Call, Explicit Sexual Content, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, M/M, Missing Scene, Multiple Orgasms, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-11
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2019-05-19 21:05:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14881190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mk_malfoy/pseuds/Emrys%20MK
Summary: Everyone is familiar with therewardUther Pendragon, King of Camelot, gives Merlin for saving his son’s life, but what you do not know is that this would not have happened had it not been for a night of unbridled passion between Sir Leon and the King’s son, Prince Arthur. This is the story of how a destiny came to be.





	Precursor to Destiny

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [Bottom Arthur Fest](http://bottom-arthur.tumblr.com/) on tumblr (@bottom-arthur). This is a missing scene from 1X01, _The Dragon’s Call_. Many thanks to Katie for the beta read!
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** Merlin characters are the property of Shine and BBC. No profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Early morning sunlight infiltrated Arthur’s bedchamber, encroaching upon his dark, peaceful sanctum, but he wouldn't open his eyes until he heard the grating voice of his servant, Morris, pleading for his master to get out of bed with the always droll indictment, _Your breakfast will not stay warm forever, Sire_.

It was as infuriating as it was expected.

What Arthur wouldn’t give for a servant who actually did things differently every once in a while. Yes, Arthur was all about law and order—growing up Uther Pendragon’s son assured that—but his servant deviating from the norm on occasion wouldn’t be rebuffed by the prince. This was the sixth century, after all, not the fifth. Times, they were a changing.

Morgana had waxed poetic about someone called George and suggested he might be a good replacement. From what Arthur had seen, though, this George person didn’t seem any less prosaic than Morris. But Arthur would talk with him to get a better read of his habits. 

He would also keep watch for any other potential recruits. 

People often flocked to Camelot for the opportunity to work in the Royal Household and, on occasion, someone from another court sought employment elsewhere.

So, perhaps in the near future Arthur would have someone he could actually get on with, but for now he was stuck with _Mundane Morris_ , whose words about food were coming whether Arthur wanted them to or not.

But not yet, and until then Arthur planned to enjoy the comfort of his bed for a few more blessed moments as he recalled the blissful dream he had been so rudely woken from when his curtains had been opened.

As dreams went, this one had been resplendent, or at least the last bits that Arthur recalled had been.

Leon, the object of Arthur’s every sexual fantasy for the past five years—and the stimulant for many a night the prince had spent with his hand down the front of his breeches—had, after a long, strange dream with many twists and turns, kissed him and was about to tell him something important before he’d been pulled from sleep, and now Arthur would never know what those words would have been.

To go from the highest of highs to absolutely nothing in a mere second wasn’t the best way to begin a new day. Arthur tried to recall every detail, wanting to savour each and every moment he had spent with Leon.

At the beginning of the dream, they had been on patrol, just the two of them, looking for Merlin (why would Arthur want to find an old sorcerer with a pointy hat that he’d heard tales about since he could remember?) but had been unable to find him.

Arthur remembered feeling lost and bereft, and he might have called out for this Merlin person, pleading with him to come back, saying that he couldn’t imagine life without him.

The scene had abruptly changed to Leon and him walking towards a tall, dark tower. Now they were looking for Guinevere, Morgana’s maidservant. Arthur was frantic to find her, and he thinks he was near tears.

Just why he had been such an emotional mess was beyond Arthur. He had never spared a thought for the poor girl. And wasn’t she sharing Morgana’s bed? Alas, it had been a dream, hadn’t it? Dreams weren’t meant to make sense or be understood. There was probably some inane reason he had dreamt of Merlin and Guinevere. Perhaps one of the knights had mentioned them earlier in the day. Whatever the case, again, it was a dream.

But the last scene had perplexed him and left him feeling uneasy.

He and Leon had been seated around a campfire. There were others, speaking frantically. Many of them were crying. There was a lone figure standing in Arthur’s periphery, his head bowed, but when Arthur called out to ask what was wrong, the young male figure had shifted and changed into an old man (who looked like the Merlin he had probably been searching for earlier in his dream). He’d turned and looked into Arthur’s eyes before disappearing.

It had upset Arthur immensely, but before he could dwell on what had happened, he somehow found himself being comforted by Leon.

It had felt like nothing Arthur could have ever imagined, and it had merely been a hug.

But then Leon had kissed him before pulling back and opening his mouth to say something.

That was when the rising sun had put the death knell to that scene.

“What is on the agenda for today, Morris?” he asked several minutes later, after forcing himself out of bed and rebuking his manservant’s attempts to get him to have a bath (surely two baths per week were plenty).

He popped a few grapes into his mouth as he awaited Morris’s response, but he already knew he wasn’t looking forward to the day ahead. His father had been in a foul mood for the past fortnight—something about strife between him and his brother-in-law, Agravaine. Whatever the reason, the king seemed determined to bring the maximum amount of grief possible into Camelot these days.

Morris opened his mouth to answer Arthur when there was commotion from below, but before Arthur could stand to go to the window to see what was happening, the door opened and his father entered the room like a bolt of lightning.

This did not bode at all well.

“There has been an arrest of a sorcerer, Arthur. He will be executed when the sun is at its highest. I was to leave for Essetir today, but this business here needs to be dealt with immediately. I must not allow my people to believe me weak when it comes to magic. You and Leon are to travel to Essetir in my stead. He is on an errand for me at the moment but will be waiting for you at the border of the Darkling Woods. I need to meet with you in the armoury before you leave. Do not delay.” And without another word the king was gone, and all Arthur could do was stare at the door.

Arthur had eaten only a few bites and was ravenous for more, but he allowed himself only a handful of grapes and a slice of bread before he went to dress, the thought of which made him sigh.

Today was to have been a minimal training day, which meant the lightest armour, but travelling meant he’d have to don his complete kit.

Arthur groaned. He had injured his shoulder the day before, and he had felt unwell since. The heavy metal would surely aggravate the injury. But there was no time to lament that as Morris helped him into his clothing.

When the armour was settled onto his shoulder, however, Arthur did tense, although he scowled at Morris when asked what was wrong.

The meeting with his father lasted much longer than Arthur expected—the king seemed to choose the most inopportune moments to suddenly decide that his son was more than merely an heir who would one day take over this vast kingdom—and Morgana delayed Arthur further with her conjecture as to why the king was so very disagreeable these days.

By the time he departed Camelot, it was almost time for the execution.

Arthur couldn’t be sorry for not remaining in Camelot to witness his father’s war on sorcery carried out—the king usually made a huge show of his heir and ward standing with him on the balcony, looking down at the subjects of Camelot. It was a show of power that Arthur had never been comfortable with.

As he made his way out of the citadel, Arthur passed an overly cheerful-looking boy/man (Arthur really couldn’t tell, but he looked to be perhaps approaching manhood). 

Whatever his age, he was beautiful. His dark, curly hair framed an angular face with sharp cheekbones. Overly large ears that stuck out were the only imperfection, but Arthur had to admit that they gave the fey-ish boy an ethereal appearance.

He had a rucksack and bedroll, and was walking towards Camelot. Arthur wondered about him and his past. What adventures awaited the young traveller? Was he coming to Camelot to find a brighter future? Most everyone who made their way to the citadel was searching for such. Or was he escaping overbearing parents and needing to branch out on his own to find his way in the world?

If it were the latter, Arthur envied him. What he wouldn’t give to be able to leave Camelot and find his own path. Yet he couldn’t. He was the presumptive heir. One day he would be king of Camelot.

His mapped-out future of wealth and prestige was at times a thought that made Arthur smile, but more often than not made him extremely morose. For now, his life wasn’t overly burdensome, but he knew that would one day change.

That thought at the forefront of his mind, Arthur curtly nodded as the two passed, silently wishing the young man well.

Perhaps Arthur and he would cross paths in future. 

Arthur certainly wouldn’t mind that, and neither would his nether regions, if the currents and activity running through them at the moment meant anything.

Arthur’s breath hitched. It had been a long while since anyone had interested him in such a way. Not even Leon had ever caused such an immediate reaction.

As usual, Arthur’s timing was impeccable. His body was emphatically sending him signals that he was in need of relief—the kind that his hand was quite proficient at providing.

If only it were night...

But it wasn’t. Arthur sighed as he ordered his libido to calm down; he was off to meet up with Leon and travel to Essetir. They were on official business. There would be no time to take care of his personal needs. He’d just have to wait until he arrived back in Camelot in a few days.

Or he guessed he could possibly take care of his needs once they settled down for the night, but Arthur was noisy and needy when in the throes of passion, even when it was merely his hand—it was no fun if he had to be quiet—and didn’t relish Leon overhearing (although the idea was rather alluring).

So he’d just have to wait.

Perhaps when he returned to Camelot, if the fates aligned, Arthur would find the boy who had set his cock into motion and they could have some fun. Of course, there was every possibility that the other wasn’t into males, but certainly, if the King’s son bestowed an interest in him, he would readily acquiesce and make an exception for Arthur.

In Arthur’s experience, people fawned over him to gain his attention.

It was a perk of being who he was.

To tell the truth, the overbearing constant attention of his father’s subjects made Arthur ill. He didn’t at all covet the attention he received daily.

But he wasn’t above occasionally using his position to get what he wanted.

And he wanted a taste of that lovely man with the creamy skin, gorgeous blue eyes, and full rose-red lips.

It took some doing, such as thinking about his father berating him the other day for contradicting him in public, but eventually Arthur’s cock settled down, though his head began to hurt.

It seemed that Arthur couldn’t win.

He couldn’t afford to get sick, so he ignored the pain.

No longer in imminent danger of creaming his pants, Arthur wiped his brow and settled in for the day’s journey, hoping he would not meet any bandits along the way. They were easy enough to deal with, but with his shoulder smarting as it was, and now with a headache, he didn’t at all fancy a duel.

Fortune was on his side this day, and he made it to where Leon was in good time. They did encounter a torrential downpour, however, and had to travel the remainder of the afternoon and evening in less than ideal conditions.

With each passing second Arthur felt worse—his painful shoulder and the headache were soon joined by a runny nose—and by the time they stopped to make camp for the night, Arthur felt dreadful. He gingerly got off his horse, but he hadn’t taken one step when Leon took the reins from him.

“You look awful,” he said emphatically before pointing to the ground beside the tree before them where a blanket had been set out. “You need to sit and rest. Don’t forget that I was there yesterday when Kay’s sword had that unfortunate meeting with your shoulder.”

It was a testament to how horrible Arthur felt that he didn’t argue. He sat, his back against the tree trunk, his eyes closed.

He must have fallen asleep because the next time he awoke he was inside the small tent, lying on his bedroll. It was not at all comfortable, but he was thankful for the shelter that protected him and Leon, who was snoring in the bedroll next to him, from the rain.

But most unfortunately, Arthur needed to pee, so he reluctantly forced himself out of his warm bedroll and made his way outside. Thankfully, it had stopped raining, but he could hear the rumbles of thunder and see the flashes of lightning, so he guessed they’d be getting another bout soon. He quickly walked to a nearby tree and did his business behind it whilst thinking about how fortunate he was to have someone like Leon with him.

The king’s most trusted confidante had grown up in Camelot and had become a knight at the age of eighteen, which was unheard of but, as his father had said on more than one occasion, Leon was exceptional.

Arthur grinned as he tucked himself back in and refastened his breeches. Yes, Leon was that.

“Arthur? What are you doing out here? It is freezing!” Leon said as he came into view and leant against a tree, looking worried and protective, the same as always.

“Had to pee.” The cold hadn’t bothered Arthur up until then, but once Leon commented on the temperature, the chilly night air did begin to infiltrate him. He wrapped his arms around himself as he began to walk back to their tent. Leon fell into step beside him.

“Your father tells me you are unhappy with Morris. He wants me to find you someone else. I must say I have no idea where to begin. To be quite honest, I was hoping you and Morris would work out.”

At this, Arthur barked out a laugh, but wished he hadn’t when his throat protested. “And might I ask why? He is about as bright as the night sky right now. He bores me to no end, Leon. I would probably get more excitement out of having Guinevere as my servant.” Arthur followed that sentence with a prolonged coughing fit, but he ignored Leon’s looks of worry, instead choosing to study him, curious how that statement would have gone over. And he wasn’t disappointed when Leon let out a hearty chuckle.

“Morris must be really bad if you think a girl would be more exciting. I didn’t think you had it in you to get excited about a girl. Have you had a change of heart since we spoke about you and and your ill-advised night with that boy your father wanted to arrest but you set free?”

Arthur began walking faster and made his way back into the tent. He was not discussing his night with that _man, not boy_ with Leon. Well, maybe he would have had he felt better and not feared he would have another massive coughing fit. But seriously, what Arthur got up to (or didn’t) at night with other men was none of the knight’s business, not even the lovely Leon’s.

Sometime later Leon entered the tent and took a seat beside Arthur. He looked sad. “I didn’t mean to pry, Arthur. What you do is none of my business. And I didn’t mean to make light of what you said about Guinevere. You are right about Morris; he really is droll, isn’t he?” Leon smiled, but it was a rather sad looking one. “You haven’t caught on to why I recommended him to your father, have you? I should probably be thankful for that.” He had said this last bit somewhat more quietly, but it was easy enough to hear.

What was Leon going on about? What was there to catch on to? Arthur allowed his frown to fall away as he awaited what Leon had to say next, because there was no way he was going to leave it at that. Arthur wouldn’t allow him to.

Wait, Leon had been the one to send Morris to him? Arthur sighed. He thought he and Leon were mates. So why would a friend send him someone as boring and as uninteresting as Morris?

“Do humour me, Leon. I find myself curious and in need of an answer. Just why did you send Morris my way?”

“We need to get some sleep, Arthur; dawn will be here soon enough and your father will not be pleased if we are late to meet with the delegation,” Leon said, clearly nervous. It was clear that he was hiding something.

“Erm, no? You started this and you are going to finish it, Leon. I want to know why you suggested to my father that Morris be my manservant.”

“It’s unimportant and can wait, Arthur. You still look terrible and need sleep. We can continue this once we have met with the others and given them the information they seek.”

Oh no. Arthur was not letting this go, but what he didn’t understand was why Leon was being so difficult. Yes, he was reserved around most everyone else, but he had always been open with Arthur, so why wasn’t he doing so now? It was almost as if Leon were afraid to talk to him.

Arthur reached out and put a hand on Leon’s shoulder as he looked into his eyes. “What’s going on here, Leon?”

“Not a damned thing, Arthur. Goodnight.” With that Leon got comfortable in his bedroll.

Arthur watched him, incredulously. Why was Leon being such an arse? He was acting like that princess who Arthur had experimented with a few years past. She had been evasive as well one night until she had finally broken down. After Arthur had gone on and on, asking what he had done wrong, she had told him that he was hopeless when it came to satisfying a princess and that he might want to go find a prince to share his bed with because that was the only way he was going to give or get any satisfaction.

Arthur had initially been irate at the princess’s words, but as it was she who had made him realise that he preferred men over women, he hadn’t remained upset with her for long. 

She had done him a favour.

“So what am I being obtuse about this time, Leon? If I didn’t already have it on good authority that you were sharing Kay’s bed, I’d think you were interested in me,” Arthur said, more to get a reaction out of Leon than anything else, but he was indeed fishing. He didn’t think Leon could be interested in him, but just maybe…

“Kay and me were over before we started, Arthur,” Leon said, sounding dejected. He did not deny the second part of Arthur’s statement.

“And I ask, are you interested in me?” Arthur knew he should let this go and get some sleep, but he was a needy twenty-year-old. If there was a chance this night could end with sex, well, he had to take it. He still hadn’t fully got over the not-meeting with that pretty boy he’d passed earlier. So what if he was being reckless; this was Leon. Leon had once been young and needy. He understood the needs of a young man.

Leon looked at Arthur but didn’t say anything. Not that he needed to. His face was a canvas and the colourful combinations that ran across it were mesmerizing to see.

“Wait, you are. Interested in me, that is,” Arthur said, letting out a laugh, not at all believing that this was happening.

“Your father would have my head,” was Leon’s only response.

Arthur crawled over to Leon’s bedroll as Leon leant on his elbow and looked at him. “My father doesn’t have to find out. There is no need for that, is there?” Arthur asked, incredibly nervous now. For all the bravado he gave off about being the king’s son, in this situation he was very much a novice and had no idea what he was getting himself into.

“Unlike you, Arthur, I depend on my position as a knight to support myself. If your father found out that I debauched his son, I would probably be hanged, but at the least I would lose my position. I cannot risk that.”

Oh yes he could. Arthur was nothing, if not brave, and yes, more than a little foolhardy. “Remember when I was ten and you taught me how to wield a mace?”

Leon scowled. “Erm, yes, what does that have to do with this?”

“I want you to teach me how to be a proper lover. I know we can never be anything more than what we are now, but we can have tonight. Please?” Arthur all but pleaded. If Leon knew how badly Arthur wanted him…

Leon quirked a brow, much too reminiscent of Gaius. “I thought you were into the skinny boys who look like a whiff of wind could blow them away.”

Arthur shrugged. “Maybe I am, but that doesn’t mean I can’t experiment with others. In my experience, I come into contact with far more men built like you. I think Morgana put it aptly when she said skinny boys weren’t likely to survive for long around here, so I need to broaden my horizons. So, I am doing that, hopefully, with you.” But a fit of coughing to punctuate that statement had Arthur feeling quite vulnerable and not at all confident in himself.

“I can’t, Arthur. I wish I could. You think you want me, but you don’t know what you want.”

Why did people say that? It was condescending, hurtful, and assumed an air of superiority that not even Leon deserved. Arthur was twenty; he was not a young boy who was a novice in matters of the heart. “I do know what I want. Just because I am inexperienced doesn’t mean I don’t want you. Just let yourself have this. Let ME have this,” he added somewhat desperately, his voice much softer now. “Please? I want you to make love to me. I am yours for the night.”

Leon sighed and sat there for a few seconds more, certainly weighing the pros and cons of turning down the prince. Finally, a decision made, he threw back the bedroll and motioned for Arthur to join him.

Arthur wasted no time settling himself against Leon, who was arranging them so that he spooned Arthur. Leon kissed Arthur behind his ear, which had Arthur squirming, but when Leon gently nipped his lobe, Arthur thought he surely would come in the next second.

“Do not come in your pants, Arthur. I assure you that you are not going to want to ride to Essetir seated in your come, especially with you already being ill.”

Arthur swallowed. Leon wasn’t helping. “Then you need to do something about that, don’t you think?” Arthur asked, but then he thought perhaps Leon wanted him to remove his own clothing. How was Leon to know that Arthur fantasised about Leon stripping him one piece at a time? “Erm, should I remove my clothing?” he asked, much too meekly. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah, let me do that,” and began to roll out of Leon’s grasp, when Leon stopped him.

“Let me, Arthur. You need to conserve your energy. I will take care of you. I should make you sleep to help your body heal, but you beg so prettily, so who am I to say no? But you will allow me take care of you, and that is an order.” He put an ending to that statement with another nip of Arthur’s ear.

Arthur closed his eyes. “Then take care of me, but you better hurry or I am going to have to ride to Essetir with come in my pants.”

Leon’s hands were warm and methodical as he undid Arthur’s breeches and pants, and before Arthur could fully comprehend that his legs were bare, Leon took Arthur’s cock into his mouth, no warning or anything.

It felt so damned good. Arthur moaned and began moving his hips, thrusting them towards Leon, but Leon did not slow down his pace and he soon had Arthur a blithering mess.

He was speaking, probably dirty as that is what he did in the privacy of his bed chambers, and he could hear Leon speaking back to him, but what he said Arthur had no clue. What he did know was that he was about to come down Leon’s throat. He should warn Leon, but on second thought, he wanted Leon to swallow every last drop.

He shot his load down Leon’s throat and rode out his orgasm in his usual needy way, panting and being noisy. He thought he heard Leon chuckle, but he couldn’t be sure.

Arthur was spent, but he wasn’t ready for this to end. He wanted more. But at the moment he couldn’t have said a word if his life had depended on it.

“That, Arthur, was just the beginning. Before the night is over I plan to shove my cock up your arse and pound you so hard that you are going to see stars,” Leon said as he rolled Arthur over onto his back and settled himself between Arthur’s legs.

As soon as they were recovered enough to continue doing more than kissing, Leon wasted no time in preparing a pliant Arthur to take his overly large cock. Arthur owlishly watched Leon’s every move and marveled at how beautiful he was as he concentrated on the task at hand. Those auburn curls begged to be rifled through, and those warm, talented hands that reflected years of wielding and being injured by weapons were poetry in motion. Arthur had things he wanted to say, confessions and dreams he had of what would happen when Leon finished this part, but he chose to stay silent as his hole was massaged into readiness.

Finally, Leon spoke, his voice husky with need as he told Arthur to get on his hands and knees.

When Leon sank into Arthur, it wasn’t overly painful, but it still burned. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling, but Arthur knew that the discomfort would soon cease. Or so that is what he had heard, and he hoped it was the truth. 

Only one other male had breached his arse, but the overly anxiou youth had come at the first contact he had with Arthur’s _tight hole_. Much of the ejaculate had escaped and trickled down his legs and pooled inside the rumpled trousers that were around his ankles.

Arthur’s first sexual encounter with a man had ended before it even began.

That had been a monumental disappointment.

Thankfully, Leon had much more restraint, and the subsequent thrusts, harder and less controlled, but infinitely more satisfying than Arthur could have ever imagined, were a thrilling sensation. He was almost certain that he was saying filthy words to encourage Leon, and when Leon hit a certain spot inside him, Arthur’s body reacted like a flame to oxygen. The feeling was exquisite. He wanted Leon to do that again. He tried to convey this, but he doubted the words he wished to speak ever left his throat.

Arthur let out a pained whimper a few seconds later when Leon slammed into him with perhaps a bit too much force, but it felt so damned good. Arthur thought he could quickly become addicted to Leon… if he wasn’t already.

“If it ever becomes too much for you, you can tell me to stop,” Leon said as he nipped Arthur’s neck and licked the evidence.

“Yes,” was all Arthur could say as he turned his head so he could try to see what Leon was doing. Seeing his friend as he prepared to slam into Arthur, his large cock straining so majestically as it awaited its return to his depths was perhaps the most erotic thing Arthur had ever seen.

“Like what you see, love?” Leon asked, a feral grin on his face before he thrust, punctuating that statement by peppering Arthur’s back with small bites and licks before leaning forward and whispering in Arthur’s ear. “You will be sore tomorrow. It will not be a comfortable ride for you, but hopefully the memories of tonight will make the pain worth it.”

Arthur could only nod as he continued to watch Leon make love to him, and that is when he felt the beginnings of his orgasm. Initially it felt the same as the previous one, but then it didn’t, and Arthur wasn’t at all sure he could stand it anymore. It felt too good. His body was doing things he didn’t think possible. His toes were curling without his say so, cramping up, and Arthur felt like he would pass out, but he hoped not. He didn’t want to miss a second of any of this. He was completely out of control, and his body was a quiver of nerves.

Arthur knew that no matter what the future held for him that this would forever be the single most important moment in his life. He would one day be king and have great responsibilities to his people and realm, he would no doubt marry and be a dutiful husband, and he would probably have children who depended on him to protect them, but at this moment, in the year 520, he was learning what it was to be _him_ , Arthur Pendragon, and he was finding out that he really liked this person who he was.

And sometime later, after the two had recovered enough to continue, Arthur’s third orgasm of the night was pulled from him whilst he rode Leon as the two stood against a tree outside (Arthur’s idea that Leon vetoed because Arthur needed to be inside where it was dry but that Arthur ordered Leon to do because a prince outranked a knight). 

They had put a thick blanket behind Leon, but Leon would no doubt be bruised for a while.

When they were at long last done and Arthur was spooned against Leon’s chest, Arthur thought he could never give this up.

“Tomorrow evening we will do it nice and slow,” Leon said as he ran his hands through Arthur’s hair. “Tonight was about getting our needs met and making you forget about feeling bad, but I want to take care of you tomorrow night. You need to know that as fun and good as it is when sex is frantic, it can be even better when it is slow and methodical.”

“I could probably go another round tonight,” Arthur said, hopeful, but another cough ruined the illusion he was trying to create.

Leon laughed. “Ah, yes, the wonder of youth. I think for an old man I did a fairly decent job pleasuring you tonight, but I gave all I have. Anything more will have to wait until we make camp tomorrow night. And from the sound of you, you need to get some sleep.”

Disappointed, Arthur turned so he could face Leon and began running his hands through his curly chest hair. “Can we continue this in Camelot?”

“I don’t think that would be wise, Arthur. As I said earlier, I need the work. I am financially stable, but if I lose my job as a knight I can no longer help those who are less fortunate, and that is not an option for me.”

“But I don’t want to give this up. I don’t want to give you up.” Arthur was whining, but he couldn’t be bothered to cease his childish antics. As lovely as Leon’s helping those less fortunate was, Arthur found himself somewhat miffed that Leon would think those people more important than him. Yes, he knew that thought was unfair and selfish, but Arthur had never said he wasn’t selfish. “You can’t imagine how lonely it is night after night.”

Leon gathered Arthur closer to him and kissed his forehead. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it before looking off into the distance as if in deep thought. Arthur wondered what had him looking so tense.

“Your father has asked me t— he has asked me to make sure that you and I are successful in our meeting tomorrow, so we should get some sleep.”

Arthur nodded and grinned lopsidedly, but it wasn’t at all genuine, and Leon had to know it. Did he truly believe that Arthur believed him?

What was Leon not telling him? Arthur was certain that Leon had been about to say something else about his father. Arthur wouldn’t pry, not yet, but he would ignore Leon’s pleas to go to sleep. He wasn’t ready to let go of this wonderful feeling. Not yet.

“Leon, my path will lead to me wedding a princess. I do know that. I have duties that must be satisfied, but for now I need someone who can make me happy. I want that,” Arthur said in not much more than a whisper as he leant in to kiss Leon’s swollen lips. When he pulled back he began to get up to return to his bedroll, but Leon wouldn’t let him go.

“We might be finished having sex, Arthur, but we are not finished making love. There is so much more to this than mere sex, and I hope to give you a taste of it before we return to Camelot so you will know what to do when you do meet the man of your dreams. And you _will_ meet him, Arthur, when you least expect it. He will sweep you off of your feet, and you won’t know what hit you.”

“Just like that, eh? Like magic, yes?” Arthur said, laughter in his voice as he leant in for another kiss. “My father might have something to say about that,” he added cheekily before peppering Leon’s face with kisses.

“Your father, no matter what you think or what he says, wants you to be happy, Arthur,” Leon said, smiling as he pulled up the covers. “Now close your eyes and get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow. The sooner we arrive in Essetir, the sooner we can return to Camelot and begin the search to find someone for you so you won’t have to be lonely _night after night_.”


End file.
